Today the Department for Education have published their final National Curriculum for secondary schools in England, including the revised programmes of study for Citizenship at key stages 3 and 4.
We are delighted that Ministers have listened to our concerns about their previous draft. The final curriculum contains a number of specific changes that we called for and includes:
- human rights and the United Nations
- more prominent references to democracy, public institutions, voluntary groups and the ways citizens work together to improve communities
- expanded requirements on justice and the law
- a broadening of financial education to incorporate how public money is raised and spent.
Key is the inclusion of requirements to teach citizenship skills alongside knowledge and understanding, especially the skills of critical thinking about political issues, research, debate and reasoned argument, as well as active participation in different forms of responsible action.
There is greater substance to the key stage 3 programme of study and clearer progression to key stage 4. We believe this represents a strengthening of the subject and offers a curriculum which is closer to the one envisaged by Bernard Crick whose work led to Citizenship being introduced as a statutory subject in schools in 2002.
These changes would not have been possible without Democratic Life and all our supporters to whom we say a huge thank you! Your efforts together with pressure from our organisational partners and senior politicians across all parties has enabled the achievement of real improvements to the National Curriculum for Citizenship in England.
Now the work can really begin in translating these statutory requirements into great Citizenship teaching in every school that is engaging, active and fun!
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